The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Masonry heaters are devices used to heat the interior of a building by absorbing the intense heat of a fire into masonry material and gradually releasing the heat over a period of hours. Although the radiant heat released by the masonry heater is low compared to other heaters, the temperatures inside masonry heaters can reach in excess of 2000° F.—far more than conventional metal furnaces can handle. Efficiently and effectively capturing and transferring the intense heat from masonry heaters to other devices would drastically reduce the energy required to heat other areas and/or fluids. However, previous attempts to capture and transfer heat from masonry heaters have been less successful than desired.